


The Harsh Winter's Creep

by SmugSpecter



Category: A Hat in Time (Video Game)
Genre: Dadcher, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Injuries, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:28:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22098673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmugSpecter/pseuds/SmugSpecter
Summary: Hat Kid wants to enjoy her first winter on the planet, and hopes she can help Snatcher and his minions find new joy in the season too.Of course, it's not that simple.
Relationships: Hat Kid & Snatcher (A Hat in Time)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 274





	1. Prelude

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story I've held onto in the back of my mind for maybe two years now, and I'm finally getting around to fully fleshing it out. A simple two-part oneshot, but I really wanted to add to the "Snatcher being a begrudging dad" fluff.

It was deep into winter for Subcon Forest now, and the snow that piled up over the last few weeks was more than sufficient to play with, Hat Kid decided.

She had been waiting excitedly to try the things she had seen in the books on this planet about their winters here- snowmen, snow angels, snowball fights- the last one sounded slightly dangerous which made her even more eager to try it. If she was lucky, she thought, she might be able to rope Snatcher into it too, for at least the snowmen making part. She noticed he seemed to enjoy crafting things as much as she did.

Hat Kid was able to convince his minions to build snowmen with her, however, and they came to a unanimous decision- to make as many snow-conites as possible to fill the village, and impress Snatcher so much that they’d be able to egg him into making a towering likeness of himself at the center. The Subconites weren’t particularly fond of winter or snow for good reason, but Hat Kid’s excitement was too infectious to ignore.

“If we play to his ego, he’ll HAVE to join us, right?” she asked giddily while shaping the head of another snow-conite.

“I’unno,” one Subconite chimed in, rolling up a snowball. “The boss can be a real stick in the mud about having fun.”

“At least things he doesn’t consider fun.” said the Subconite working with Hat Kid.

“Yeah, you got a point.” she huffed, stepping back to admire their work so far. “Doesn’t mean we can’t try, though. He can’t be a killjoy forever!”

The Subconites snickered, and a third piped up. “Don’t underestimate the boss! He only does what he wants to do.” Hat Kid stuck out her tongue at them playfully while she bent down to pack some more snow together. “Well, he shouldn’t underestimate me either!” she said confidently.

“Yeah, we already know what happens when he does.” the Subconite closest to her quipped and giggled ecstatically with their friend while the third hushed them. Hat Kid snorted, and had to put the snowball down while she laughed so she didn’t accidentally crush it.

As the laughter subsided, the first Subconite noticed they were out of sticks for their snowmen to use as spindly arms. “Do you want us to go dig up some more?” they asked Hat Kid as they waddled through the snow. 

“Sure! I’ll hang back here and roll up some more bodies for these guys.” she said as she pushed a snowball along the ground. The first gave her a thumbs up and motioned for the other two to come along. The child waved after them as they ran up and out of the village along the path she helped them dig out earlier.

Hat Kid lost herself in the methodical process of making the snow-conites. Not many Dwellers were out, but those that were swam idly through the air; their glowing bodies shimmering across the snow reminded her of the multicolored strings of lights Hat Kid saw adorn lots of trees outside of Subcon. It was the most peaceful she had seen it yet, with how the snow dampened ambient sounds and discouraged the more dangerous things lurking in the forest from coming out of hiding. The thin layers of powder on the trees gave the place a heightened feel of tranquility, turning the eerie shades of purple and red into softer, more relaxed colors.

She knew not everyone here had the same feelings as her about it, but the person responsible for that was lurking alone in her dusty old mansion well on the other side of the forest. Hat Kid wanted to give them more positive memories of snow, and winter overall. She wasn’t gonna let some creepy old lady keep it ruined for them.


	2. The Harsh Winter's Creep

It was hard to tell time inside Subcon with its eternal night, but Hat Kid knew it had been a long while since the Subconites went out to grab more sticks. She paused after making her tenth snow-conite to look around the village, wondering if Snatcher had ordered them to do their jobs instead of playing with her.

Now that she was taking in more of her surroundings, she realized she didn’t see the Dwellers anymore either. Aside from her, the village was completely empty.

Hat Kid didn’t have the power to detect souls or sense energy like Snatcher and his minions did, but something felt… off. The calm quiet that blanketed the area felt eerie now, but not the kind of eerie that she was used to Subcon Forest having. As she tiptoed around the snow figures, she held her breath, trying to spot any sign of life inside or on the edge of the village. Hat Kid tensed up, waiting for Snatcher- she hoped it was Snatcher- to spring up and scare her.

She jumped when something finally zipped overhead and disappeared into the treeline.

Another one followed soon after, and she realized they were Dwellers. A few more flew past her, ignoring the kid as they sped towards the same direction. One came to a halt as it nearly crashed into her, and spun around in frantic circles. Hat Kid could feel the hair on the back of her neck bristle as she cocked her head, trying to make sense of what the panicked spirit was doing their best to tell her.

The Dweller looped their tail around her wrist and tugged her in the direction the others had disappeared to; a silent plea to follow them. She was about to ask what was going on when a familiar buzz started to ring in her ears.

Hat Kid’s heart raced. She knew that sound; she heard it in her nightmares. A buzz that turns into a roar as her blood rushes and her vision skews, the sinister aura suffocating her and making her arms and legs weak. She dared to look behind as a sinking pit of fear formed in her stomach.

There, walking up to the village, was Vanessa. Her energy was _intense_ , way more than it usually was, as Hat Kid could already feel her vision going wobbly. The Dweller wrapped around her wrist took off, and she followed suit. Hat Kid ran as she went to summon her Sprint hat-

...Nothing. None of her hats would come up as she frantically tapped the brim and pleaded for them to work. Vanessa’s magic was smothering everything around her.

Hat Kid hopped desperately through the unplowed snow drifts, forgetting in her panic that the river was right in front of her; as soon as her boots touched the ice, her feet slipped backwards and sent her crashing onto the surface. She landed harshly on her shoulder, and the sound of her impact caught Vanessa’s attention. The child hissed in pain as she tried to scramble back up on her feet, her mind getting hazy as the buzzing increased in her ears. Hat Kid looked back in horror to see Vanessa closing in on her, red eyes gleaming in recognition.

“ _YOU,_ ” Vanessa screeched, stretching out an accusatory claw at her. “ _YOU’RE THE LITTLE PEST THAT SNUCK INTO MY HOME!_ ”

Hat Kid screamed as she scooted away from the terrifying smoky figure. A snarl stretched across Vanessa’s face, and it hadn’t occurred to Hat Kid until now that she would have a glowing mouth just like Snatcher. Hers lacked teeth though, and instead was a fierce, jagged line. Vanessa was starting to close the distance between them, and Hat Kid found she couldn’t muster up the energy to run. If she turned her back, Vanessa would snag her by the cape and she’d be dead. If she kept her pathetic crawl backwards, Vanessa would grab her by the neck and she’d be dead.

Her aura was too much to bear- Hat Kid couldn’t see clearly anymore and the roar in her head was deafening; the sudden pressure on her chest made it hard to breathe. ‘ _No no no no, not again!_ ’ she whimpered.

She didn’t want to die like this!

With her good arm she pulled out her umbrella and braced it in front of her. She knew she couldn’t take the ice queen down, but it was better than lying there and accepting her demise. Vanessa paused at Hat Kid’s feeble attempt of self defense, and laughed. That awful, condescending giggle that she heard so much when she snuck through her mansion.

“ _Oh, sweetheart~_ ” she cooed, her false sweet tone making Hat Kid sick. “ _You’re such a silly little girl, aren’t you?_ ”

Vanessa stood up to her full height to loom over her, and Hat Kid crawled further back along the ice. “ _I’m so glad that you’re here._ ” she continued, eyes flickering and her smile widening. “ _Now I can take back what you stole from me._ ”

She swiftly grabbed her by the neck, forcing the wind out of Hat Kid’s throat with a choked gasp and knocking off her hat in the process. She kicked wildly and tried to scream as she was raised up into the air, but the grip Vanessa had around her neck only tightened further, squashing the child’s attempt to call for help. It was just like her nightmares- she was cold, helpless, alone, _trapped and about to die_. Hat Kid whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut, tears prickling at the edges- she was done for.

“ **VANESAAAA!** ” a familiar voice boomed from behind her. The pressure released from Hat Kid’s neck instantly as she was unceremoniously dropped back down into the snow. The child let out ragged coughs as she tried her best to take in deep breaths while blinking the tears out of her eyes. She glanced over her shoulder, and through her murky vision she could see him.

There was Snatcher, the ruff around his neck bristling, standing tall with his arms crossed behind his back. The smile on his face was sinister- his eyes narrowed and his features glowing bright with anger. Vanessa took a few steps back at the sight of her Ex, her oppressive aura waning just a little.

“ **You know, I recall us having a little chat some time ago-** ” Snatcher started, his tone calm. “ **something about boundaries, and how you would stay on your side, I would stay on mine, etcetera, etcetera.** ” he gestured vaguely with his hands.

“ **If I’m correct- and I am- this is a breach of our terms and conditions!** ” he finished with a forced cheerful tone. 

Vanessa squinted at him. “ _This was MY land first!_ ” she hissed, clenching her fists. “ _-and I didn’t agree to anything with you. You can’t keep me from what’s rightfully MINE._ ” She turned her attention back to Hat Kid, who flinched and shuffled back. “ _Speaking of,_ ” she hummed “ _this little brat here took something of mine too._ ”

She moved to grab Hat Kid again when Snatcher casually glided in front of her, keeping Vanessa out of reach and forcing her to step further back. “ **Ah ah ah!** ” he tutted, wagging a single claw. “ **This brat is currently contracted by me, so I’m afraid I can’t let you take her.** ” The strain on Hat Kid’s vision faded as Snatcher stood between her and Vanessa. She could see clearly again, and with the help of her umbrella propped herself back up on wobbly legs and grabbed her hat. Hat Kid wondered why he was defending her- they both knew she didn’t have any more contracts, and he wasn’t one to stick his neck out for anything other than his home.

The ice queen had the same question as she voiced her opinion. “ _Why do you care what happens to this child? She’s an intruder- a thief! I won’t let any PEST like that get to live in my domain._ ” she spat as the constant black smoke rolling off of her grew thicker. Snatcher stood unfazed.

“ **Oh, don’t get me wrong, this kid is ABSOLUTELY a pest! The worst servant I’ve had in decades! But... it’s hard to find even subpar help these days, so the kid gets to live,** ” Snatcher’s smile quirked into a smug grin. “ **also, since I’m someone who enjoys being _extremely_ petty- anything you want, I can’t let you have.**” Hat Kid would’ve giggled at his statement if she wasn’t still incredibly afraid of the woman standing in front of them.

Vanessa’s eyes narrowed as she walked around them slowly. Snatcher kept his gaze fixed on her, turning slightly so that the kid remained out of reach. Hat Kid moved closer to him and kept her umbrella at the ready- the air was tense, almost unbearable for the child, and she could see blue sparks dancing idly at Snatcher’s fingertips. The two shadows were ready and eager to strike; now it was just a waiting game of who would make the first move.

Snatcher broke the silence. “ **Hey, kid.** ” he murmured.

Hat Kid jumped a little and turned her eyes towards him. “Wh-what?” she stuttered.

His gaze remained fixed on Vanessa as he raised his hand. “ **Get the heck out of here.** ”

At the snap of his fingers a portal opened up underneath Hat Kid, and she fell through the void. The child yelped, Vanessa’s piercing “ _NO!_ ” fading away instantly; the world erupted in flames before her vision was swallowed up entirely. Her stomach dropped as she moved through shadows, unable to see or feel how far she was falling. Without warning, she popped through the other side and fell in a heap on the damp dirt, her hat rolling off to the side and her umbrella clattering on top of her.

Hat Kid groaned, propping herself up on her elbows to get a look at where she was now.

She was in front of Snatcher’s tree, surrounded by his minions and the Dwellers, the latter entangling themselves higher up in the branches of his home. A Subconite waddled up to her and offered their hand while another picked up her hat. She took their hand and got back up on her feet, grabbing her umbrella as she did, and noticed the small clearing had a flickering blue barrier encircling it. In the distance she could hear shouting, accompanied by thundering booms that sent tremors through the ground and shook the trees around them.

She took her hat with a small “Thanks” and plopped it back on her head. 

“You okay, newbie?” the one Subconite on her left asked as more shuffled towards her, while a few Dwellers cautiously floated overhead.

“Yeah, m’fine.” she said softly while rubbing her sore neck. She _knew_ she was going to have nasty looking bruises over it and her shoulder tomorrow. “Did Snatcher put this up?” she asked as she gestured with her umbrella at the surrounding wall of energy.

“Of course!” they chirped. “The boss wanted to make sure everyone was safe.”

“Oh!” Hat Kid paused for a moment. “Wait-”

“That includes you too!” another Subconite added from the edge of the group. She was surprised, but why else would he have sent her here, or kept Vanessa from taking her? Hat Kid made a mental note to herself to tease him about it later.

She walked up to the barrier and tapped on it experimentally. Out in the distance another boom rocked the ground beneath her and she jumped back. A Subconite walked up behind her and gently tugged on the sleeve of her dress.

“The boss wants us to stay here until the coast is clear. You can’t cross the barrier until he’s done.”

Hat Kid looked at the Subconite before turning her attention back outside. She didn’t like having to back down, much less be forced to hide, but… Snatcher was way more equipped to deal with Vanessa than she was. Truth be told she had never wanted to deal with the old lady again anyways, but it still felt wrong to her to let Snatcher deal with Vanessa alone.

She sighed heavily, and trudged her way up from the edge of the clearing into Snatcher’s house. Now that the adrenaline from fear and near-death was wearing off, she was exhausted. 

More Subconties milled about inside, and as she moved through the small crowd the two that were sitting on the ottoman next to Snatcher’s chair scooted over and offered a seat to her. She stowed away her umbrella and took the seat gratefully, flopping next to them.

Hat Kid drummed her fingers on her boots awkwardly as she stared out of the opening of the tree and into the distance. “Sooo… now we wait?” she asked, her voice tense.

“Yep!” replied the Subconite sitting closest to her. “Snatcher’s got this covered.”

“-and don’t worry kid,” added on the second minion, sensing Hat Kid’s apprehension. “The boss is gonna be fine.”

\-----

The minutes felt like they dragged on for hours to Hat Kid as she anxiously fiddled with the hem of her cape. Every moment it got quiet and felt like the fight was done, another scream would rip through the air, or another explosion would cause the floor beneath her to rumble. Despite the Subconites she talked to sounding confident in Snatcher’s ability to handle Vanessa’s rampage (and barely reacting to the sounds of the confrontation outside) the tension in the air was palpable.

Once again, the world outside went quiet. One second, two seconds, three seconds…

Hat Kid held her breath as she listened intently. This pause was longer than the last. ‘Did Snatcher win? Is it finally over?’ she hoped as the edge of her cape twisted in her hands.

The barrier dissipated, and all of the Subconites broke out into cheers. Relief flooded her tiny frame immediately as she joined in with the celebration. She couldn’t see that well from her spot on the ottoman, but she could tell Snatcher was moving inside as the crowd ebbed to make way.

Hat Kid stopped when she saw him.

Snatcher looked… awful, if she was being honest, way worse than when she fought him, but what else could she expect with how murderous his brawl with Vanessa sounded?

Decently sized chunks of ice clung to him in various spots, the most impressive one winding halfway along his ruff. The worst thing, though, was what looked like scratches all over his spectral form- they glowed the same yellow as his face, some almost looked like they were oozing, and two particularly nasty ones sat on his right side.

He dropped into his chair with a withering sigh and leaned back.

“ **Alright everyone, the coast is clear. I want you all back at your posts acting like this never happened.** ” he demanded.

The Subconites left his home silently, disappearing back into the woods along with the Dwellers.

“ **That means you too, kid.** ” he said while he started to pluck off the bits of ice on himself. “ **I’m tired and would really love some peace and quiet right now.** ”

Hat Kid didn’t acknowledge his words. She stared at his wounds, taken aback that a ghost could get any sort of injuries. Was it because Vanessa’s ice was technically blue? How would his cuts heal up? Could he feel any pain at all? Guilt tugged at the child the more she thought about it. ‘ _If I hadn’t got caught, maybe Snatcher wouldn’t be as banged up as he was now._ ’ she mused sadly.

“Are you gonna be ok?” Hat Kid asked quietly.

“ **Huh?** ” Snatcher paused, looking at her quizzically for a moment. “ **Oh, all this?** ” he said as he turned his body. “ **This is nothin’, kiddo! I’ve been through much worse, you know that.** ”

Hat Kid huffed; he was kinda right, but they both knew he looked terrible.

Snatcher laughed, a tired wheeze to it. “ **Besides, why are you worrying about me? You’re the one who was about to bite the dust. Really, you should thank me for saving you at all.** ” he teased as he reclined again, putting his hand on the ice that still clung to his neck. Snatcher dug his claws in, pressing hard until there was a loud crack, and in one swift movement ripped the ice from his mane. Hat Kid winced, and she swore she saw him grimace too, but made no comment on it as he casually tossed the slab outside.

“ **Now shoo, kid. We’ve had our ‘bonding’ time for today, so you can go back to your ship and do whatever it is you do when you’re not bothering me.** ” he said as he waved dismissively, settling further into his chair. Snapping his fingers, he summoned a book from his vast collection and opened it to a page he had slipped a bookmark into earlier.

Hat Kid stayed put, twisting the hem of her cape again. She didn’t want to be by herself right now. As tough and smart as she was, she was still a kid, and the thought of being alone after narrowly avoiding a slow, freezing death made her feel hollow. Sure she had managed just fine after other harrowing adventures on this planet that nearly killed her, Snatcher included, but… this was Vanessa; an awful, creepy, nasty woman who was beyond redemption, who had nearly gotten her twice now, and whose sinister laugh and burning eyes would be forever ingrained into her head.

Snatcher spoke up again. “ **Kid, I mean it. Get moving.** ” he ordered, tone stern.

“I…” Hat Kid started meekly. 

He groaned, setting down his book. “ **What? What is it?** ”

Hat Kid fidgeted, thinking about her words before taking in a shaky breath. “Can I stay, please?” she asked, avoiding eye contact. “I… I don’t want to be alone right now.” she finished softly. She knew she was gonna be told to go anyways, but it was worth a shot.

Snatcher laughed incredulously. “ **Really, kid? After all that? I figured you’d want to be MILES away from here after nearly dying to that old hag! Again!** ” he chuckled. Hat Kid didn’t respond, instead tucking her knees under her chin and hugging her legs. 

This was the most beat-down he had seen her yet. No comical pouting or snarky response to his words like he was used to; the child was actually being vulnerable with him. Snatcher didn’t really know how to handle the kid being like this. He wanted to be aggravated, to say ‘oh well, too bad’ and shoo her out, but she looked so… pathetic? Scared? A kind of scared he hadn’t seen (or felt) in a long time. The kid wasn’t his problem though- she could handle herself just fine without him, he knew that.

Ugh, why did he even care?

With a long, suffering, sigh, he threw his hands up in defeat, breaking Hat Kid out of her daze.

“ **Alright! Alright… c’mere, kiddo.** ” he said as he extended a hand towards her. Hat Kid looked up at him, bewildered. Snatcher quirked a nonexistent eyebrow at her and waved his hand impatiently. Tentatively, she reached out and grabbed a claw.

He grasped her tiny hand and lifted her into the air, and promptly plopped her next to him. Snatcher settled back into his chair and picked his book up off his lap, noting the dumbfounded expression on Hat Kid’s face.

“ **You’re getting away with a lot today, you know that? As long as you’re quiet, you can stay. Sound good?** ” he asked, trying to sound as annoyed as possible. Hat Kid blinked, processing his words before nodding in agreement.

“ **Good... and I mean it! One peep out of you and you’re out the door.** ” he said with finality.

Hat Kid sat there for a bit before tentatively leaning against Snatcher’s side, making sure to avoid any scratches he had there. He tensed up, then, after a moment, gradually relaxed again.

\-----

They sat there in silence for a good while, with only the ticking of the grandfather clock and the occasional flip of the page from Snatcher’s book. He assumed the kid had fallen asleep until her tired voice spoke up from his side.

“Thanks, Snatcher.” she said wearily, her drowsiness accented further by a yawn.

Snatcher hummed thoughtfully. “ **You know that counts as a peep, right kiddo?** ” he said flatly, but lacking his usual seriousness. Hat Kid giggled, and Snatcher smiled inwardly. He still loathed the kid, he reassured himself, but she had her moments.

Hat Kid was incredibly bummed her plans were dashed by Vanessa’s appearance and her rampage (the snow-conites were all _definitely_ gone now), but for the moment, she was too tired to care. She vowed to keep her original plan of asking Snatcher to make snowmen with her, and hopefully the Subconites wanted to join in again too.

‘ _At least I know he cares just a little bit._ ’ she thought smugly before drifting off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I'm open to constructive criticism, so let me know if there was anything I missed or if there's some spots that need refining.


End file.
